The Other Woman
by NeoNails
Summary: 'Annie Walker was fast becoming a damn good agent, and didn't deserve to be kept in the dark. Not that Joan said any of this.' Joan-centric, but some Auggie/Annie thrown in for good measure.


I thought of this a few days ago, because I really do adore Joan's character on _CA_- she's such an absolute badass. Plus, she also has a small role on another TV show that I love (_Leverage_).

As an added note, would say this has some spoilers for the pilot, mostly that vague comment Joan made about the woman Annie replaced. I'm assuming they're eventually going to go back to that on the show, so I decided to kind of ghost over the whole thing because I know that whatever I think up will be the total opposite of whatever USA has to say in terms of the plot. XD

I really like the dynamic between Joan and her husband, because it's a weird kind of relationship that does and doesn't work. It's kind of cute.

This is actually the latest oneshot I've written, but because I _really_ liked this whole thing, and in the end it doesn't matter what order I post it for you guys. :D

$4$

_Tragedy and comedy are but two aspects of what is real, and whether we see the tragic or the humorous is a matter of perspective._

- Arnold Beisser

**

* * *

**

Joan Campbell was a talented CIA agent for a reason.

She didn't take crap from anyone- especially her husband. She had spent decades working for the Agency and she wasn't going to let something as useless as male chivalry (or chauvinism, depending on the point of view) get in her way.

She did not believe in bullshitting or bureaucratic red tape, unlike Arthur, and she expected the rest of her team on the DPD to follow the same suit.

That was why Joan didn't like lying to one of her agents, even if it was to track down someone like Ben Mercer. Annie Walker was fast becoming a damn good agent, and didn't deserve to be kept in the dark.

Not that Joan ever said any of this. She had her own orders, and she didn't need any of her agents to start getting cocky.

That's how people ended up dead.

She knew what people called her behind her back- an ice queen, a bitch, the other woman, even homewrecker (though that one really only served to amuse the hell out of her). People on other floors thought she pushed her agents too hard, that she was too cold, that she was responsible for what happened before Annie arrived.

That last part was true (she wasn't naïve or delusional, she could admit her own failures) but the rest… she couldn't give a shit about the rest.

She was too cold because that way she couldn't get attached to her agents (that was where she went wrong the last time).

She pushed them too hard because she wanted them to be prepared when something went wrong, when a normal situation turned dangerous in the blink of an eye (so what happened the last time would never happen again).

Joan sat back in her chair, nursing a cup of strong coffee (two creams, no sugar; Arthur used to joke that it was like her, blonde and bitter) and watched through the glass office walls as her agents milled about, completing paperwork or running files.

There, among all the other agents, was Annie Walker. Joan watched, amused, as the younger woman gesticulated wildly, retelling some story to her fellow coworker and friend, Auggie Anderson.

It seemed fitting that Annie had managed to capture the blind agent's attention so well. Before Iraq, Auggie had been a charmer, and that hadn't changed much after. It was almost appropriate that Annie, without meaning to, had managed to charm him.

Auggie had a weakness for Annie almost from the very beginning. It was something that Joan never mentioned aloud but always knew. In an odd way, it provided her with a certain amount of amusement, a guarantee that no matter what happened that day, she could count on them to provide a certain happy distraction to her day.

Annie must've been done with her story because she stopped and leaned against the edge of Auggie's desk next to him, her shoulder brushing his. He said something to her, and judging by the upturning of Annie's lips, it was something sarcastic yet comforting, Auggie's typical brand of charm.

Joan was slightly surprised to see Annie drop her head on his shoulder, a fairly intimate gesture for the two of them. She was more surprised to see Auggie return the motion, tilting his head so his nose was buried in her hair.

A pang rose up in her chest, and it took a few moments to recognize it. Nostalgia and jealousy, a peculiar combination but there nonetheless. It was rare she was able to see such pure innocence exemplified in her agents. It made her miss the old days of her relationship with Arthur, back when it was new and foreign and just a little bit dangerous.

From what she heard, that had been Annie with Ben Mercer, diving headfirst into a relationship with a man she barely knew and getting herself burned in the process. It may have been foolhardy, maybe even stupid but it was something Joan respected. Not so long ago, she wasn't all that different from Annie.

There was something different about Auggie and Annie, though. It was one of those rare things that didn't happen suddenly one day, but instead developed slowly, building over time. It was so unlike her relationship with Arthur, and no doubt just as dissimilar to Annie's relationship with Ben Mercer.

They were friends now, but given a little time, stress, and the right type of catalyst, Annie Walker and Auggie Anderson were going to be one of the few relationships in the CIA that lasted- Joan could bet her pension on it.

Unable to hold back a laugh, she finally looked away from the pair, setting down her lukewarm coffee mug. If she wasn't careful, her agents were going to turn her into another bleeding heart.

$4$

Still Auggie/Annie, but not quite the way you guys were expecting. XD Hope you still like it!

EDIT: Okay, I screwed up Arthur's name and didn't check before posting it... thanks for telling me, guys! XD


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